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Wyden Statement on Justice Department Opinion on Trump Tax Returns

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement in response to the Justice Department’s opinion on compliance with congressional requests for tax return information under section 6103 of the tax code:

“The Justice Department’s opinion reads like it was written by Donald Trump’s personal lawyer. This legal analysis has already been laughed out of court by judges who have noted that Congress has broad investigative authority and it’s not up to the administration to determine the legitimacy of congressional investigations. This opinion is a stain on the Justice Department and further reflects Attorney General Barr’s willingness to protect the president at all costs. The Trump administration decided long ago it would not turn over the president’s tax returns and has used the Office of Legal Counsel to come up with a pretext to justify its refusal to follow the law.”